hellyer 216 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Just a few picks from our trip in 2009. Nozawa truly has a mellow village atmosphere and friendly vibe. From the narrrow cobbled streets to old ladies cooking in the hotsprings as they heve been doing for hundreds of years, this place is somewhere that should definitely go on your 'bucket list' Oh, it snows a bit here as well Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 some nice photos Snowjunky, although when I travelled through Noz last year i was disappointed at the village. I was only travelling through on a bus, dropping people off before heading across the valley, but after hearing on here about how "beautiful the Nozawa Onsen" was, I thought it looked as shitty aesthetically as any town in Japan. Although i was happy to see your pics with the cobbled streets (I didn't see that), but I was expecting noz to look like that all over, quaint.........instead it just looked as crappy, haphazard way that I've seen countless times all over Japan. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Some nice shots there, SnowJunky. Nozawa is one of my favorite places to ski! Link to post Share on other sites
hellyer 216 Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 some nice photos Snowjunky, although when I travelled through Noz last year i was disappointed at the village. I was only travelling through on a bus, dropping people off before heading across the valley, but after hearing on here about how "beautiful the Nozawa Onsen" was, I thought it looked as shitty aesthetically as any town in Japan. Although i was happy to see your pics with the cobbled streets (I didn't see that), but I was expecting noz to look like that all over, quaint.........instead it just looked as crappy, haphazard way that I've seen countless times all over Japan. Your description of what you saw TB is spot on. The road in to the bus stop is like many other places. Just one block higher up the hill is the cobbled streets, cooking onsen, quaint restaurants, public onsen, ryoken, shops, PO etc. Apart from delivery vehicles it is predominantly pedestrian only and stretches quite away along the hill TB, you will have to go back. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Yes you need to get to the heart of the village. Having said that, it's not that mindblowing. But certainly better than the road going in and most other places! Link to post Share on other sites
iiyamadude 6 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Yes looks and feels great on a fine sunny day with lots of new snow around. Link to post Share on other sites
HighlyTrainedNovaTeacher 2 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Definitely one of the better places for that kind of thing. I heard that Zao is similar. ? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Sort of. Just quieter, Nozawa is much more lively. Certainly when I have been to Zao it has been trouble finding somewhere to eat in the evening, other than the conbini! Sad, it really spoils the Zao experience. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I Love Zao, whats the village like in the green season? Is it busy? It being an Onsen town, I'd imagine it to be a year round visitor place. Funny that there are no night eateries and drinking dens Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 That's the thing about onsen towns, all the eating/drinking is done in-hotel so they tend to have fewer separate bars & restaurants. Link to post Share on other sites
hellyer 216 Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 Tubby (and others) - Here's the real Nozawa Onsen Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Can't say thats anything particularly insipiring. I say just go and find out for yourself. Get into the center there and walk round, it's only tiny really. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 yeah....it looks like everywhere else to be honest....some nice okonomiyaki at the end tho....i love when its thick like that!! Also it looks better (the town...not the food)when its covered in snow, but I just know that underneath that lovely white blanket is the same old cheap and tired looking crappy buildings that are the makeup of every town in Japan. Town planners and architects need shot over here!! Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I like Nozawa a lot and would urge folks to stay in the more Japanese places there to complete the experience. Its more 1960s/70s onsen town than genuine ye olde, but its walkable, there are enough touches to make it feel Japanese, and the proper ryokans are offer the kind of service that Japanophiles write gushing articles about. Its a great ski hill too. Some genuine steeps. In my experience, snow disappears pretty quickly lower down later in the season (low altitude and downside of no snowmaking?), so maybe choose Shiga Kogen or Hakuba then. I'll finish with the obvious comment that the Dosojin (Fire) festival is a wild one and well worth seeing. Jan 15th every year. Link to post Share on other sites
@tokyo 14 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I agree. Link to post Share on other sites
Ross 4 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Nice work snow junky. Thank's for talking us in to going there in 2010 still the best town have been to so far.Way better than echo land /hakuba so much choice when eating out.Hope to go back there with Lynne in march or maybe Myoko.That sounds great also. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
tripler 0 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Its more 1960s/70s onsen town than genuine ye olde Where is the real-deal olde onsen town, Mr Wiggles? Not necessarily for skiing, but I've got some people visiting soon and I'm sure they'd like to see it; so would I. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Try Kusatsu, Tripler. I haven't been there in a while but used to be pretty cool. Minakami also has some charm, and I think Muika had some outstanding pix of the area from last season. Closer in there's Ikaho, and for a little exotic Japan there's not much better than the Minami Suwa train station, with an onsen on the platform. Link to post Share on other sites
tripler 0 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 thanks! Think I've been to Minami Suwa - that's the stop for the log riding thing, isn't it? Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 The way I read it, Mr Wiggles was meaning..... Nozawa Onsen! Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard 0 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Going to check out Nozawa this winter and relax in some of those baths. Link to post Share on other sites
ponyrider 0 Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Looks great snow junky, I'm booked into villa nozawa mid-feb: any particular restaurant recommendations? Link to post Share on other sites
hellyer 216 Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 Hi Snowboard, yes the free public onsen are great though you have to be confortable 'Nuding up" with the locals. There is a choice of around 13 from memory though I only tried 3 that were handy to where I was staying. Some have more than one bath with different temperatures. Hot, bloody hot, and lobster Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 any male who has played competitive sports shouldn't be uncofortable with being in the scuddy........surely you showered after your game right? Onsens are the same....naked is great!! Link to post Share on other sites
hellyer 216 Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 Hi Ponyrider, there are plenty of good places to eat & the staff at Villa Nozawa will give you reccomendtions. A few of my favourites (in no particular order) - Tomachi - a specialist Okonomyaki maker just about straight across the road from where you are staying Daimon Soba - As the name suggests specialises in cheap, delicious soba meals. It is in a quaint little shop just off the main eat street near the liquor shop. Intimate atmosphere It's just like eating in their lounge room. Wakagiri - Japanese & western. A little more formal, has english menu, nice setting, It's one the maindrag between you hotel and Oyu Onsen Kaze No Le - Italian - good pasta & pizza when you feel like a change from local fare. One of the few places I went that had a good (read drinkable) wine selection. It's upstairs diagonally opposite the Historic Oyu Onsen. There's also a great little Izakaya up the hill from Oyu, can't remember the name but the hostess dresses like a Geisha. Good casual atmosphere and yummy finger food. Plus plenty more, both in the village and on the mountain. Link to post Share on other sites
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